President Tran Dai Quang (centre) participates in a rehearsal for APEC Summit yesterday in the central costal city of Da Nang. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang
President Tran Dai Quang urged the central city, ministries and relevant agencies hosting the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit to think of APEC’s Economic Leaders’ Week on November 5-11 as national festival days.
Quang made the remarks at a rehearsal for the APEC Summit and final check in Da Nang on Sunday, stressing that the event is an honour and a great opportunity for the city to promote its beauty and livability to other APEC members.
He also warned the APEC National Committee, the city and concerned ministries to be on guard for unexpected events such as bad weather conditions.
“The APEC Summit will help the city and Viet Nam send an image of a dynamic, innovative and progressive country and city to the international community,” Quang said.
“It’s also a chance for us to show our deeper and wider integration into the world economy, express the country’s foreign affairs policy and build trusts among APEC member economies and friends,” he said.
He added that economic leaders and representatives of the world’s top financial organisations had committed to join the APEC Summit, as well as economic leaders from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as guests. Quang emphasised that the event would strengthen Viet Nam’s role, responsibility and prestige among APEC members and global friends.
The President also called for further review of preparations for security, food safety, decorations and traffic plans for successful hosting of the APEC Summit.
Quang and members of the APEC National Committee also checked locations that will host events during the week.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, who is chairman of the APEC National Committee, said Da Nang should strictly safeguard food safety, fire prevention, medical service and public traffic and security.
He said constant checks on the preparation of logistics, accommodation, traffic infrastructure and the decoration of the city for the APEC Summit had been held since early October.
Chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vu Tien Loc, said nearly 2,000 CEOs and 3,000 businesses had registered to join discussions and forums at the CEO Summit.
Media centre
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh and members of the National Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Committee officially inaugurated the International Media Centre in Da Nang on Saturday.
Minh praised efforts made by the central city, the Ministry of Information and Communication and other agencies in completing the media centre in time for the upcoming APEC 2017 Summit.
“This media centre will serve over 3,000 journalists and reporters from domestic and foreign agencies during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. It will help broadcast worldwide news of APEC, and images of a dynamic Viet Nam and Da Nang.
“It will also play an important role in supporting a successful APEC Summit, which includes a series of meetings and conferences attended by economic leaders, ministers and CEOs,” he said.
Minh, who is Chairman of the APEC National Committee, also hoped that the centre will help promote an exciting and lively APEC Summit in Viet Nam.
He visited the centre’s facilities including the booths of major news agencies, press conference halls, as well as dining area that will serve journalists and reporters during the APEC’s Economic Leaders’ Week on November 5-11.
A photo exhibition – Land and People – also opened at the media centre yesterday, featuring 100 photographs capturing the beautiful landscapes and people of Viet Nam.
International news agencies including AP, Reuters, AFP, Fox News, Kyodo, Xinhua News Agencies, CCTV, Nikkei, Tokyo Broadcasting System and Fuji Television Network, as well as the host news agencies, Vietnam News Agency, Viet Nam Television (VTV) and the Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) have already set up their booths at the centre.
The centre, which covers an area of 1.3ha, will provide working space for thousands of journalists during the November 5-11 APEC summit.
It has four press conference halls including a main hall with 400 seats that will hold the Chairman’s final press conference.
It expected that 15,000 delegates, CEOs and others from 21 APEC member economies will participate in the APEC Summit.
The city has launched a Smile of Da Nang campaign to raise awareness of the APEC meetings among local residents, civil servants and tourists.
A ‘Green’ Sunday campaign was also launched in the city yesterday to raise awareness among the community and encourage them to join hands in keeping streets and public areas clean, and in ensuring smooth traffic flows during the APEC Summit.
Established in November 1989, APEC comprises 21 economies, representing about 39 per cent of the world population, 57 per cent of total GDP and 47 per cent of world trade.
Viet Nam joined the forum in 1998. The country hosted APEC 2006 and the sixth APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in September 2014. — VNS